Page 115 - DMGT404 RESEARCH_METHODOLOGY

Unit 6: Primary Data and Questionnaire

Advantages Notes

 The ability to let the Interviewee see, feel and/or taste a product.
 The ability to find the target population. For example, you can find people who have seen
a film much more easily outside a theater in which it is playing than by calling phone
numbers at random.
 Longer interviews are sometimes tolerated. Particularly with in-home interviews that
have been arranged in advance. People may be willing to talk longer face-to-face than to
someone on the phone.

Disadvantages

 Personal interviews usually cost more per interview than other methods.

 Change in the characteristics of the population might make sample non-representative.
6.4.2 Telephone Surveys

It is a process of collecting information from sample respondents by calling them over telephone.
Surveying by telephone is the most popular interviewing method.

Advantages

 People can usually be contacted faster over the telephone than with other methods.

 You can dial random telephone numbers when you do not have the actual telephone
numbers of potential respondents.
 Skilled interviewers can often invite longer or more complete answers than people will
give on their own to mail, e-mail surveys.

Disadvantages

 Many telemarketers have given legitimate research a bad name by claiming to be doing
research when they start a sales call.
 The growing number of working women often means that no one is at home during the
day. This limits calling time to a "window" of about 6-9 p.m. (when you can be sure to
interrupt dinner or a favorite TV program).

 You cannot show sample products by phone.
6.4.3 Computer Direct Interviews

These are methods in which the respondents key in (enter) their answers directly into a computer.

Advantages

 It eliminates data entry and editing costs.
 Answers are more accurate to sensitive questions through a computer than to a person or
paper questionnaire.
 Interviewer bias is eliminated. Different interviewers can ask questions in different ways,
leading to different results. The computer asks the questions the same way every time.

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